Seeking Common Ground (SCG) was founded in 1993 with the goal of helping young people—the next generation of leaders—to see the humanity in the ‘other’ in order to approach conflict resolution from a place of greater empathy, connection, and inclusion. Through integration, socialization, communication, and leadership development, participants of SCG programs gain the skills to become agents for social change in their home communities and beyond. SCG’s 2009 report, Building Bridges for Peace: A Report on Theory, Best Practices and Evaluation after Fifteen Years, demonstrates overwhelmingly that the research-based and field-tested methods used are effective. All other SCG programs are predicated on the flagship Building Bridges for Peace program.

Our work is divided into two main areas:

1. •National and international ‘people-to-people’ leadership programs for teens and young adults. SCG believes that youth are the world’s best hope for building bridges across cultural, religious, socio-economic, gender and other divides. Youth have powerful things to say about how our communities need to change and too often their voices go unheard. Through our programs growing numbers of teens gain the skills to become transformational leaders in their home communities and worldwide.
   

2. •Training, consulting, and educational programs for students, scholars, practitioners and interested community members.  SCG offers training in our proven best practices; consults on program design, development, implementation, and assessment; offers group facilitation services; and invites teens and adults to take part in international study trips to areas in conflict/post-conflict.  
   

SCG’s programs include:

Building Bridges for Peace (BBfP). SCG’s flagship program, this multi-year, multi-level leadership development and peacebuilding program works with American, Israeli and Palestinian teens.  Started in 1994, BBfP equips participants with the skills and confidence to manage conflicts and become leaders in creating more peaceful, equitable, and just communities.

Denver International P.E.A.C.E. and Badlands International P.E.A.C.E. SCG’s 2 International P.E.A.C.E (participant encounter and community engagement) programs are based on the flagship BBfP program. These programs—currently in Colorado and South Dakota— train diverse high school students to become change agents in creating a more just and peaceful world, beginning at home. These programs include an international encounter trip to a region in conflict/post-conflict.

International Encounter Trips for Teens. SCG takes teen participants on 10-12 day encounter trips to Northern Ireland, South Africa and Israel and Palestine. Encounter Trips are now also offered to community groups, youth groups, schools and other organizations looking to provide experiential international peace education to their own teen community. The experience of traveling outside of one’s home community to learn firsthand about the complexities of conflict and divided societies is fundamental for young leaders. In the words of SCG participants it is “life-changing” and “completely eye-opening.”

Alumni in Action. Launched in 2009, this initiative provides additional support, networking, mentoring, training and professional development for SCG's global alumni community. It includes the Interns for Peace program, which was developed in 2002 by two alumni of BBfP and is offered to past participants. Interns gain skills in non-profit management and program development by volunteering in the Denver office and engaging in local and national speaking engagements through Peace Works. 

Adult Study Trip for Peace, Empowerment and Change. This 10-day study trip to Israel and Palestine designed for adult American community members interested in seeing the Israeli and Palestinian conflict through the eyes of social, cultural, and political leaders who are working together to create peaceful and systemic change. 

Peace Works: Community-Based Programs. SCG staff, alumni, and current participants speak and lead workshops at schools, universities, religious and community groups, both nationally and internationally, to bring SCG methodology to the wider community. Workshop themes include identity, perspective, peacebuilding, conflict, communication, gender and leadership, among others.

The Peacebuilding Practitioners Institute. The Institute offers access to SCG’s proven best practices through training programs and consulting services. The institute provides workshops, conferences, graduate student practicum, mentoring programs, and short- and long-term consulting for organizations and communities.